The present invention relates to a vehicle distance sensor and indicator. It particularly relates to an apparatus and methods for determining the location of a vehicle in a defined spaced and affording an indication to the driver of the vehicle of the location of the vehicle relative to a reference location.
As most vehicle drivers can attest, parking a vehicle in a defined space, e.g., a garage, oftentimes can be quite difficult. Most drivers have difficulty in accurately judging the distance, for example, between the front bumper of the vehicle and a rear wall of a garage. Frequently, the driver may not advance the vehicle sufficiently such that the rear of the vehicle clears the garage door. Conversely, the driver may misjudge the distance between the front bumper and the rear wall of the garage and impact the vehicle against the rear wall. With recent design changes in automotive bumpers, a forceful impact of this type can oftentimes lead to substantial damage to the bumper necessitating its repair or replacement, not to mention the damage to the rear wall of the garage.
Further, it is also desirable to locate the vehicle within the defined space a certain distance from one or more reference locations laterally of the vehicle. For example, it is desirable to locate the vehicle when parking in a garage a minimum distance from the side wall of the garage to enable the door of the vehicle to be fully opened for ingress and egress. Those distances are often inaccurately judged by the driver, resulting in damage to the side door of the vehicle when the door is opened and impacted against a side wall or other objects to the side of the vehicle.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel and improved sensing and signaling device to enable the driver of a vehicle to locate the vehicle within a defined space or envelope and indicate to the driver that the vehicle is located within such space or envelope. To accomplish this, the present invention provides a sensor, for example, an ultrasonic sensor mounted adjacent to or within the defined space, e.g., on the rear wall of a garage, for purposes of sensing the distance the vehicle is from the sensor and providing an indication to the driver of the distance from a desired reference location, typically the sensor. While the sensor may be of a number of different types, e.g., infrared, radar, microwave, preferably an ultrasonic sensor is provided. The ultrasonic sensor when mounted, e.g., on the rear wall of the garage, transmits an ultrasonic signal toward the oncoming vehicle. The echo of the signal reflected by the vehicle is returned to a receiver section of the sensor. The returned echo, processed through appropriate circuitry, i.e., given the known speed of the signal and the time between transmittal and receipt of the echo, is used to determine the distance of the vehicle from the sensor.
An output signal as a function of that distance signal can be used to provide visual and audible indications to the driver of the vehicle regarding the progress of the vehicle toward the sensor. For example, a series of lights may be provided on the sensor indicating predetermined distances of the vehicle from the sensor or a reference location. Thus, when the vehicle enters the preferred position within the defined space, a light, for example, a red light, may be actuated by the receiving section of the sensor to indicate to the driver that the vehicle is properly located, e.g., vis-a-vis its distance from the rear wall of the garage. Similar sensing units can be provided along one or both of the opposite sides of the vehicle. In this manner, the driver of the vehicle can position the vehicle both in the direction of motion of the vehicle and in directions perpendicular to its direction of motion within the defined space or envelope.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a method of positioning a vehicle within a defined space comprising the steps of providing a sensor fixed at a predetermined location, sensing the proximity of the vehicle relative to the sensor as the vehicle enters the defined space and using the sensed proximity, indicating to a driver of the vehicle the proximity of the vehicle to a reference location thereby enabling the driver of the vehicle to position the vehicle within the defined space.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved vehicle position sensor and indicating device enabling a driver of a vehicle to accurately and consistently locate the vehicle within a defined space or envelope.